The Great British Pubco Scam. Pubs are closing all over Britain yet pubs are places that most people love and think fondly of as some of the most significant, treasured, iconic parts of our culture, places to be cherished, nurtured and looked after. Yet they're closing everywhere... WHY? It doesn't make sense does it? Read on...
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Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Quotes from S&NPE website.

"Each of our lessees has the support of an Operations & Sales Manager (OSM) whose job is to provide you with dedicated business consultancy. Your OSM will always be on hand to support your ideas for development and they will also enlist the services of the Customer Development Executive, to help put your marketing plans into action. Both the OSM and the CDE will encourage and advise you in putting together a marketing plan for your business and we can support this with a range of off-the-shelf and tailor-made promotions to increase your sales. Additionally, your Telesales Customer Advisor will offer you regular special promotions on a wide variety of S&N products, whilst our Machines Manager will be on hand to advise you on how to make the most of this vital and profitable part of your business." "Once you are in your pub, you will have the opportunity to take further courses on Cellar Management (Essential and Advanced levels) and Cask Ale Handling, all of which are designed and run by our in-house experts; our courses are devised and run by licensed retailers for licensed retailers and our focus is always on your business and your customers". "Our team of Customer Advisors will call you at a convenient time for your weekly order. One of the team will become your main point of contact for this call and will get to know your business and the brands that work best for you. Each month they will have special offers on a variety of products and they can also advise you on the suitability of new brands and provide additional point of sale materials to help get them off the ground". "Your OSM will be able to help you make informed decisions and will know what are the average prices for key brands in your area". "We provide generous discounts on all our major products to help you do this whilst maintaining the appropriate sales margin for your business". "Generous discounts are given on all products supplied by the company".

S&NPE Website Claims Seem To Be Emperor's Old Clothes

This kind of claptrap incenses me. I hope people reading these forums can understand why. I never read all this stuff before I signed a lease. It wasn't sold to me like this. I saw the pub I now own was failing, I had the right kind of experience, made enquiries, and ended up negotiating a long(ish)lease. To read stuff like this makes my blood boil. There's loads of it out there on the internet. If all PubCo lessees experience of the reality of having a tied lease in any way that matches mine, then the whole system is an appalling sham and the PubCos are getting away with serial misrepresentation, routine deceit and downright lies. Here I am on strong ground because I KNOW, absolutely, that S&NPE cannot possibly prove me wrong on this and I CAN PROVE COMPREHENSIVELY that NOTHING of what they say on their website applies to my situation and my tied lease with them. The language these charlatans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlatan) employ is the same and their behaviour too. I hope this is not regarded as too contentious Ewan. I passed it by my legal department before posting.

"Generous discounts" from S&NPE. I am tied to S&N for beer. This means for example, I can't stock Magners, Stella, Cobra oh, and a lot of other beers I might like to stock. Like organic or weiss beer. £42.24 per barrel is my generous discount - on a volume of about 300-350 barrels a year. I got two quotes in the last month from two other brewers. For a pub identical to mine but in a different street in Camberwell SE5 for an annual volume of 300 barrels. Supplier number one came back with £140 a barrel discount. Supplier number two £170 a barrel. Both said I would be free to stock beers outside of their portfolio to broaden my offer and they would make loans available for development of the business against volume. There would be product training, cellar management, staff incentives, clothing. Oh All sorts. What do I get from S&NPE? NADA nothing squit the area manage rarely answers the 'phone when I call. Sometimes takes a week to get back to me. He's often on training course. For what I can't imagine because he doesn't appear to do ANYTHING... Says he's not paid enough though. He's a father now. Sleepless nights. They NEVER answer my letters (never, strictly speaking is not quite true. Generally they do not answer my letters). On and On. I'm going to bed. Good night.

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J Mark Dodds

I’m one of the Pub Persuaders, one of the Pub Professionals, one of the People who knows what’s going on – in PUBS that is - and this blog is about pubs, why they are so important to people and why they must be preserved, reinvigorated, enhanced and remade fit for purpose for the 21st century and beyond and how they must be made sustainable so that future generations can enjoy and learn from the rich seams of knowledge that can be found on everyone’s doorstep in every humble pub – until it’s closed forever – until it’s too late and people say ‘what happened to our pub? We really NEEDED that pub!’
I’m a publican, parent and photographer with a lot of food and drink experience in some of the busiest restaurants and clubs in Britain. Since long before 2008 (when I co-founded the Fair Pint Campaign) I’ve been a pro pubs, people and places person at the forefront of the national conversation about why pubs are closing… everywhere.
I love good pubs, my kids love good pubs, all my friends love good pubs – everyone loves good pubs and I’m determined to make sure good pubs remain part of everybody’s experience - of growing up in the UK and of visiting this country.